Polycycle.



D'L-G. FINLEY.

POLYCYCLE.

APPLICATION 'mso MAY 26. I914.

1,1 39, 175. Patented May 11, 191 5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

wi/imeo oeo THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGmN. D. C.

D. G. FINLEY.

POLYCYCLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1914.

Patented May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@FFIQE.

DAVID G. FINLEY, 0F GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA.

POLYCYCLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

srig'inal application filed July 21, 1913, Serial No. 780,287. Divided and this application filed May 26, 1914. Serial No. 841,051.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID G. FINLEY, citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Island, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Polycycles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to toys, being more particularly a division of my copending application for a toy, filed July 21, 1913 and bearing the Serial N 0. 780,287, the primary object of my invention being the provision of a toy representing a horse drawn vehicle so constructed that the propelling of the toy will cause the legs of the horse to move as though drawing the vehicle.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the toy that it may be propelled by means of foot pedals or by one or more hand levers or both as preferred.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved toy; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View showing the operating mechanism thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crank shaft which forms the main or drive axle of the vehicle, together with the pedal levers which are connected to the crank shaft and to the lower portions of the hind legs of the horse; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a portion of the steering mechanism, showing the manner in which the same operates.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in thefollowing description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The vehicle proper of my improved toy includes a shaft 10 forming the main axle of the vehicle, wheels 11 being keyed upon the ends of the shaft. This shaft 10 is bent intermediate its length to provide spaced crank portions 12 and lever arms 13 of metal are bent at one end about the wrist pins of the cranks 12 and are provided intermediate their length with flattened portions 14 forming pedals by which the rear axle may be rotated as will be later explained. A vertical U-shaped frame 15 of metal is secured by its free ends about the end portions of the axle 10 immediately within the wheels 11 and secured to the bight portion is a horizontally disposed U-shaped frame 16, the free ends of which converge slightly toward each other to form spaced shafts 17. The bight portion of the frames 15 and 16 support a plate of sheet metal 18 forming a seat for the operator, this seat being provided with an upstanding guard rail 19 supported by brackets 20. Diagonal braces 21 connect the intermediate portions of the U- shaped frames 15 and 16.

Mounted between the shafts 17 is a fanciful representation of a horse or other animal 22, preferably formed of sheet metal and of sufiicient strength to support the forward part of the vehicle, said figure being supported between the shafts by bands 23 representing parts of a harness. This figure 22 is of hollow formation and the central portion of its body is braced by a pair of vertically spaced apart braces 24 and 25. A shaft 26 is rotatably mounted in alined bores formed in the braces 24 and 25 and held against longitudinal movement through said bores by a head 27 at its upper end and a collar 28 bearing beneath the lower face of the brace 25. This shaft terminates at its free end in a downwardly and forwardly directed fork 29 carrying a shaft 30 upon which is mounted a supporting wheel 31.

Keyed upon the shaft 26 between the braces 24 and 25, is a spur gear 32, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth 33 of an arcuate rack bar 34, this bar being mounted upon the downwardly depending fork 35 of a shaft 36. This shaft 36 extends at right angles to the forked terminal being journaled in a downwardly depending lug 37 of the brace 24 and in a bracket 38 extending downwardly and forwardly from the seat 18. This bracket is disposed centrally of the seat and includes an upper L-shaped member 39, one arm of which extends horizontally and the other of which extends vertically downward from the free end and a second substantially Z-shaped member 40 secured by one end to the lower face of the first by the same fastening rivets 41 which secure the first to the seat, the opposite end of this latter portion carrying a bearing 42 for the shaft 36.

Pivotally connected for forward and rearward swinging movement to the rear end of the shaft 36, is a hand lever 43. A helical spring 44 is secured by one end to the downwardly directed arm of the L-shaped member 39 of the bracket and has its free end passed through the intermediate portion of the member 40 of the bracket and secured to the intermediate portion of the lever 43. The forward edge of the bracket member 39 is notched as at and this spring serves to normally hold the lever in the notch and consequently lock the same against swinging movement from side to side. It will be apparent however, that if the lever is swung forwardly against the force of the spring to free it from the notch, it may be then swung to one side or the other to partially rotate the shaft 36 and so swing the rack bar 34 to partially turn the shaft 26 and consequently steer the vehicle.

The shoulder and hip portions of the figure 22 are pressed outwardly to form cup-shaped seats for correspondingly shaped terminals of upper forward and rear leg portions 46 and 47, respectively, these portions being secured for swinging movement by pivots 48 and 49. Lower forward and rear leg portions 50 and 51 are pivotally secured by pivots 52 and 53 to the lower ends of the corresponding upper leg portions. The pivots 53 also pass through the forward ends of the pedal levers 13.

Links 54 are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the lower forward leg portions by pivots 55 located at the rear of the pivots 52 and are connected by their opposite ends to the upper portion of the body 22 by pivots 56. Similar links 57 are connected by pivots 58 to the upper ends of the rear lower leg portions immediately in advance of the pivots 53 and by pivots 59 to the upper portions of the body or figure 22. The upper leg portions 46 and 47 are provided at their upper ends with extended cars 60 and 61 and links 62 and 63 pivotally connect these cars with the free ends of levers 64 which are pivoted centrally as at 65 in the horses body. It should be noted that the leg portions of the figure are of hollow configuration and that the various links etc., above described, are all inclosed in the body and hidden from View.

In operation, the driver occupies the seat 18 and actuates the pedal levers 13 in the usual well known manner to rotate the axle l0 and so propel the vehicle. The movement of the pedal levers 13 is also transmitted to the lower rear leg portions of the horse and from there to the upper leg portions, this latter movement being due to the swinging of said latter portions upon the links 57. The movement of the upper leg portions is transmitted through the links 63, levers 64 and links 62 to the upper forward leg POT. tions and in turn from said leg portions to the lower forward leg portion. Because of this, the vehicle, when in movement, will cause a movement of the legs of the figure similar to that of the legs of a horse when trotting.

It will of course be understood that I do not wish to in any way limit myself to the specific details of construction illustrated in the drawings and set forth in the above specification, as various minor changes, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time, without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention.

If desired, a hand lever 66 may be pivoted to one of the shafts 17, in advance of the seat 18 with its lower end slidably mounted through an eye 67 swiveled upon the adjacent lever arm near the pedal thereof. One of these hand levers may be employed alone or one may be provided for each lever arm 12 and 13, as preferred. By this means, the vehicle may be driven either by hand or by foot, as prefered, or by both.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: v

1. A toy including a wheeled frame having a rotatable drive shaft and pedal levers operatively connected to the drive shaft, a toy animal supported in the frame and having upper swinging leg portions and lower swinging leg portions connected to the upper leg portions, links pivotally connected to the lower leg portions and to the animal, levers pivoted intermediate their length within the animal, links pivotally connecting the free ends of said levers with the upper portion of the upper leg members, and operative connection between the pedal levers and certain of the lower leg portions.

2. In a toy, the combination with a wheeled frame including a rotatable drive shaft and pedal levers operatively connected to the shaft, of a toy animal carried by the frame, said animal having swingingly mounted upper forward and rear leg members and lower forward and rear leg members swingingly mounted on the lower ends of the upper leg members, links swingingly connecting the upper ends of the lower leg members with the upper portion of the animal body, whereby swinging of the upper leg portions will cause swinging of the lower leg portions, levers pivoted intermediate their length within the animal body, links connecting the free ends of the levers with the upper portions of the upper leg members, and operative connection between the pedal levers and the lower portions of the upper rear leg members.

3. A toy including a frame, a crank shaft journaled in the frame, bearing wheels carried by the shaft, a vertical shaft carrying an additional bearing wheel forming a steering wheel, a toy animal supported in the frame over the steering wheel and provided with movable legs, pedal levers connected to the crank arms .of the crank shaft by one end and by their opposite ends to certain of the legs of the toy animal, an eye swivelly carried by one of said levers, and a hand lever pivoted in the frame intermediate its length and with its lower end slidable in said eye 4. A toy including a Wheeled frame having drive wheels, pedal levers, operative connection between the pedal levers and drive wheels, a toy animal supported in the frame and having upper swinging leg portions and lower swinging leg portions, means operable'by movement of the pedals for swinging certain of the lower leg portions, and means operable by swinging of said lower leg portions for swinging the remaining lower leg portions and the upper leg portions.

5. A toy including a wheeled frame having a rotatable drive shaft and pedal levers operatively connected to the drive shaft, a toy animal supported in the frame and having upper swinging leg portions and lower swinging leg portions, operative connection between the pedal levers and certain of the lower leg portions, and means operable by swinging of such lower leg portions for swinging the corresponding upper leg portions.

6. A toy including a wheeled frame having a rotatable drive shaft and pedal levers operatively connected to the drive shaft, a toy animal supported in the frame and having upper swinging leg portions and lower swinging leg portions, operative connection between the pedal levers and certain of the lower leg portions, means operable by swinging of such lower leg portions for swinging the corresponding upper leg portions, and means operable by the swinging of such upper leg portions for swinging the remaining upper leg portions.

7. A toy including a wheeled frame having a rotatable drive shaft and pedal levers operatively connected to the drive shaft, a toy animal supported in the frame and having upper swinging leg portions and lower swinging leg portions, operative connection between the pedal levers and certain of the lower leg portions, means operable by swinging of such lower leg portions for swinging the corresponding upper leg portions, means operable by the swinging of such upper leg portions for swinging the remaining upper leg portions, and means operable by the swinging of the latter upper leg portions for swinging the remaining lower leg portions.

8. A toy including a wheeled frame having a rotatable drive shaft and pedal levers operatively connected to the drive shaft, a toy animal supported in the frame and having swinging leg portions, operative connection between certain swinging leg portions and the pedal levers, and operative connection between corresponding forward and rear leg portions, said latter connection including a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length, and links pivotally connecting the free ends of the lever with forward and rear leg portions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID G. FINLEY.

Witnesses:

M. F. GARLow, ORVIL OARMICHEAL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

